Will the Lakers consider engaging in another blockbuster deal before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline?

Will the Lakers consider engaging in another blockbuster deal before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline?

Since the 2019 NBA offseason started, the Washington Wizards have been informing everyone in the league that they have no intention of trading All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal. The Wizards tried to address the rumors surrounding Beal by offering him a three-year, $111 million massive contract extension. Unfortunately for the Wizards, Beal decided to take some time to decide on the contract extension, hinting at the possibility that he could soon follow the footsteps of other NBA superstars and demand a trade from Washington.

Without a clear path to title contention, the Wizards are better off trading Bradley Beal for trade assets that could help them speed up the rebuilding process instead of trying to stay competitive and continue being a mediocre team in the league. According to Sportskeeda, one of the NBA teams who could express strong interest in acquiring Beal before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline is the Los Angeles Lakers.

“After missing out on Leonard, the Lakers proceeded to fill out their roster with several veteran role players, although Frank Vogel’s team are still missing an elite guard. Evidently, a player of Beal’s qualities would be of interest to the Lakers, and the 26-year-old would fit seamlessly alongside James and Anthony. A trade would be tough to complete due to LA’s lack of cap space, and the likes of JaVale McGee, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would need to be included in any deal. Yet, Beal would present the Lakers with a true third star, and one that could shift the balance of power in the West.”

Bradley Beal led the NBA in minutes last season. The Wizards' are committed to making sure he gets his rest — but that doesn't necessarily mean a steep drop in playing time. https://t.co/2nDWhPacy3

After the successful acquisition of Anthony Davis, the Lakers became aggressive on the free agency market with the hope of adding a third superstar on their roster. Unfortunately, their top free-agent target, Kawhi Leonard, ended up signing with the other team situated in Los Angeles – the Clippers. Despite failing to acquire Leonard, the Lakers still managed to surround Davis and LeBron James with a quality supporting cast this summer.

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However, if they underperform early in the 2019-20 NBA season, it is highly likely that the Lakers will seek for a roster upgrade before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. To acquire Bradley Beal from the Wizards, Sportskeeda suggested that the Lakers could offer a trade package including Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Both teams will be needing to wait until mid-December to make the deal since McGee and Caldwell-Pope just signed new contracts in the 2019 NBA free agency.

Trading Kyle Kuzma, whom they refused to send to the New Orleans Pelicans in the Anthony Davis blockbuster deal, is undeniably a tough decision for the Lakers, but it will definitely be worth it if it means acquiring a player of Bradley Beal’s caliber. The potential acquisition of Beal would give the Lakers a real “Big Three” which would strengthen their chance of fully dominating the deep Western Conference and winning the NBA championship title next season.